The coined term, “Sex sells” has been used since I can remember. It’s always seemed to be that way. But why is it that whenever someone wants to sell sex, a female comes to mind first?

This photo reads, “REALITY. This is the ONLY way most of us will ever get to see two girls kissing in bed.”

Seriously? First of all, this photo is not only making females look like sex objects but it’s also making it seem like the lesbian community has to hide how they feel.

No one should hide how they feel; gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight. It doesn’t matter. It’s 2010, people!

This ad is for Burger King; what should be a simple fast food restaurant advertisement. But no, of course, it can’t happen that way. Sex and a female had to be apart of it. When I first saw this ad, I laughed at myself because I couldn’t believe that a fast food restaurant had stooped to that level. People are going to eat your food, you don’t need to hint towards a girl giving your BK Super Seven Incher oral sex. That my friends is disgusting, if you ask me.

In my opinion, I feel like women are always going to be scrutinized and used to sell products using sex appeal. But it isn’t right. We are human, we have jobs, we are smart and we can do anything we want to do. We are not just sex.

I am concerned that this issue will continue but it is only going to continue if advertisements continue to relay these types of messages.

This article explores the world of women in advertising. Issues of role play, what is “too sexy,” and women being perceived as sex objects.

We deserve a fair fight; a fight to make this all go away. Sure, sex sells but at the end of the day, do we really need sex to sell EVERYTHING? Do females always have to be the main source?

Sincerely,

A Concerned Female

Tiger’s emotions and thinking process began to get foggy; he was ultimately losing himself within his fame and fortune. This led him to do the unthinkable. He turned on his wife and his family by having an affair with not only one woman but several. Read this to get caught up!

Tiger wants nothing more but to make everything okay again. It’s not going to be easy but he is willing to make it happen.

We invite you to a special concert featuring the Dave Matthews Band, The Fray, Justin Timberlake, and many more to give back to those who need love and care. Proceeds and donations will go to organizations representing abandoned families. After the concert, Tiger will sit down with guest Dr. Drew Pinsky to discuss relationships, family and love. There will be a question and answer portion of the discussion as well. Ask away! Tiger is willing to answer anything.

To meet the goal of Tiger regaining the respect of his fans and society as a whole, this campaign will use strategies. Video news releases will take over the YouTube phenomenon and psuedo-events will gain the positive media coverage Tiger needs. The video’s will include pictures and speeches from Tiger himself and the ones who love him. The psuedo-events planned will involved parades and protests outside the doors before the live entertainment begins.

Now, while this campaign could be successful, there are always opportunities for it to be a bust. What Tiger did was very wrong and it will be hard for people to forgive and believe in him again.

These strategies could backfire on me, seeing that they may not work in gaining the ideal picture perfect Tiger Woods. Dealing with truth, accuracy, fairness, and responsibility to the public, no problems are seen with the PRSA Ethics Code.

The one thing that matters is, will this actually work? Will Tiger ever be known as the man he once was?

“The Longest Yard,” starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Burt Reynolds is a film about former NFL MVP Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler) who lost his career by shaving points off a football game. After getting chased by the cops while driving heavily intoxicated in his girlfriend’s Bentley, Crewe gets into an accident and is sent to the Allenville State Penitentiary. With Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) being a huge football fan, he wants Crewe to organize a “fixed” game between the guards and the inmates. Crewe pulls together a team of selected inmates of his choice and leads them to success and revenge with help from “Caretaker” (Chris Rock) and legendary football coach, Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds).

Within the first twenty-five minutes of the film, I had already seen four product placements. By the end of the film, my list read: Lay’s potato chips, Bentley, Dell laptop, McDonald’s cheeseburger, Gatorade, People magazine, “The View” talk-show, Icy Hot, Reebok, and ESPN.

Now, to be honest, I was prepared to see more product placement then I did but nonetheless, there was still a wide variety. Gatorade, Reebok and the McDonald’s cheeseburger are the winners! These three products caught most of my attention as an audience member and I believe it would be the same for others. They were not only shown throughout the film but they were used within the humor of the film; who doesn’t enjoy humor? That is a great way for the product to get noticed.

It only makes sense for Gatorade and Reebok to be advertised in a football movie. Gatorade is one of the most popular and successful athletic drinks none to society and Reebok is a popular athletic apparel company. Advertisers and producers most likely had the concept of knowing because the products are being placed in a football film, audience members who play or are fans of football (and other sports, of course) will buy or use the products.

Yes, it’s entirely unhealthy for you but it’s SO yummy! McDonald’s reigns true as the most popular fast food restaurant in the world. A good cheeseburger always seems to hit to spot. Because the inmates were fenced in the penitentiary by tall barbed wire fences, they couldn’t go anywhere. That’s right, anywhere. Not even McDonald’s. “Cheeseburger Eddie,” (Terry Crews), an inmate in the film was the man to see if you wanted a special treat. He had a way of smuggling McDonald’s cheeseburgers into the penitentiary. McDonald’s is already quite popular on its own but a little advertising always helps. It’s been made clear that when a celebrity or an icon does something, wears something, says something or even eats something, the public catches on. Using popular actors and actresses to promote your product will get you the proceeds.

This article touches on the basics of when product placement is successful and unfortunately, when it’s not. All I have to say is, “The Longest Yard” sure did make me crave a cool sip of Gatorade and a juicy McDonald’s cheeseburger. Bring on the new products!

Now, I know that some say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in this case, I did. However, it was not in a negative way. As soon as I saw this book, I knew I was going to love it. Why? Because it took something so inspiring such as music and brought it to life.

As soon as I saw the book starring at me with it’s bright colored cover and use of stacked tape cassettes, I had to buy it.

“Love is a Mix Tape” is a memoir of Rob Sheffield’s (a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine) short but meaningful life with a girl that he never thought he’d be lucky enough to meet. Music is what brought them together; it was the glue that kept the relationship together. Renee wasn’t like any other girl Rob had ever met before and that was what he enjoyed most about her and eventually would be why he fell in love with her.

Rob used the songs of fifteen mix tapes to tell the story of him and Renee. This website used to promote the book reads, “…the songs on these tapes make up the soundtrack of their lives.” Who wouldn’t want that? That is exactly why this book means so much to me. Not only Rob’s story but the way he told it through music inspired me; it inspired me to make music a bigger part of my life, more then it already was. Every time I listen to a song, I think of not only the artist’s meaning behind it but mine as well; I interpret every lyric and I thank Rob for that ability.

If we could all live our lives completely through the power of music and through the power of song; I think we could believe in anything and make anything real. Music is power. Music is love.

I enjoyed reading this article; it is deep and uses amazing detail and description to express the true and valuable meaning within the words on the paper.

“There are all kinds of mix tapes. There is always a reason to make one.” — Rob Sheffield

The first movie I saw in theatre’s was Beauty and the Beast (aka–”Booty and the East;” I was three, give me a break). Granted, I was only three and as I sit here, I don’t exactly remember what I took, if anything, from the movie but the fact of the matter is, there are lessons to be learned in every movie.

There are three significant themes that seem to always find a way into the hands of every story; a love story, good vs. evil, and the most important stated the ever so famous quote, ”don’t judge a book by its cover.”

In the movies, all of these themes come together, in a sense. Every love story involves two completely different individuals and their story teaches you that being different is okay and is acceptable. As good humans, it is our job to accept and love others for who they are. The love stories also help overcome the good vs. evil.

In Beauty and the Beast, you have Belle who is trying to overcome the “bad guy,” Gaston. The beast, whom she ultimately falls in love with when she learns to look beyond his physical appearance helps her overcome Gaston. All three themes are rolled into one.

In The Little Mermaid, you have Ariel, the mermaid princess, trying to help her father overcome the evil octopus, Ursula. Ariel’s desire is to be human and she falls in love with the human prince, Eric. Their love story is another example of non judgment and acceptance as one is a mermaid and the other is a human. Good eventually wins over evil as Ariel overcomes Ursula’s spell and nasty ways with the help of Eric and her “under the sea” friends and family. Again, the three themes are rolled into one.

What I find most interesting is, these lessons to be learned are not only directed towards young children, they are meant for anyone. Young or old, big or small, believe it or not, you can take something from a Disney movie.

As far as being compared to how the “real world” is, unfortunately, not all believe in love, some don’t believe in heros and villains and the fact that the “good guy” always wins, and truth be told, we still judge a book by its cover. But watch a Disney movie and see how your mind can be changed.

Disney makes you believe and it has the ability to make you dream and imagine things you never thought possible.

A girl expresses the lessons she learned growing up from a few of her favorite Disney movies. See folks, if you watch closely and give yourself the opportunity to enter a world of fairy tales, those fairy tales can become the reality of your life.

“Allison, can I get on your laptop to check to see if Kelly still has a Facebook?” “Sure! I was just thinking about doing that too. Facebook is set as my homepage so, it should pop right up!”

Facebook being set as one’s homepage; if that isn’t a sign of addiction, I don’t know what is. Facebook has its ups and downs with being accepted as a positive social networking site or a negative one.

Sure, it’s a great way to stay in touch with friends and family in an entertaining way. One’s profile has a majority of things to look at; pictures, recent status updates, notes, general information and the list goes on. But, don’t forget, Facebook does have its down falls. Besides being a great way to communicate, what are its impacts on today’s society?

In the article, Study says Facebook can impact studies, explains the correlation between Facebook and students grades. Based on conducted studies, students who spend a majority of their time on Facebook tend to have lower grade-point averages than students who do not take part in the Facebook craze. It is thought that when students spend more time on Facebook, they spend less time with their noses in their books.

Because Facebook has become so popular, not just among the millennial generation but of other generations (ie: our grandparents and parents), there have been some speculations that it is very likely that we can get addicted to it.

In this article, Are You Suffering from Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD)?,  it is stated that one must meet certain criteria to be named a “Facebook Addict.” Some of the criteria include: the need for increasing amounts of time on Facebook to achieve a level of satisfaction, obsessive thinking about your Facebook (ie: wondering if someone commented on your status or wrote on your wall), and social and/or recreational activities have moved to Facebook (ie: writing on someone’s wall instead of sending them an e-mail).

I know, you’re probably thinking, “Oh whatever! Facebook can’t cause that much of an uproar.” But, it is plain to see that while Facebook might be fun, entertaining and yes, a good way to stay “in the loop” with our social groups, the issues of slipping grades in students and addiction problems are in fact around us.

It’s sad to admit it being that I am a huge fan of Facebook but I see these issues right before my very eyes everyday. I even see them in myself; I do tend to spend a majority of my time sitting at the computer looking at Facebook, rather than doing the studying I need to do. Luckily for me, I haven’t hit the “addict” description but it would be smart to put Facebook on the back burner for a bit. The question is, will I actually do it?

I ask you this…are YOU addicted to Facebook?

Don’t let this happen to you.

Hey you! Welcome to the good life! It is 2035 and you have entered a world of advanced technology and a healthier human race.

The grass is a crisp green, the sky is clear blue and the air is fresh. Everyone is healthy and is provided with a safe living environment.

The advanced technology has allowed everyone to have a better connection with what is going on around them. All homes and offices are accompanied with personal computers that keep us connected with those important with politics and the decisions of the world. Through video and voice analysis, we can connect with them, helping make the world a better place for all.

Means of transportation are improved; the “Vehic35,” drives itself. Think of it as your personal taxi service. It will take you anywhere you need to go. Do you remember the fresh air that was mentioned? Yes, the “Vehic35,” provides transportation with no pollutants.

Organic has taken over; all foods are available without the dangers of an unhealthy diet. Now that’s what I call a healthier human race. Please, come inside. Become a part of our better life.

The Dystopian Vision

A dark, empty, cold, silent but loud world emerges before us. The evil of what once was good is here. The year of 2035 can make one cringe.

The only humans left are in rare form; they have been taken over by computer ran robots who are smarter than we could have ever imagined. The homes that are left have one robot each, running everything.

These robot “creatures” decide everything, politic or not and hold everyone who is not “their kind” hostage.

The world looks black and white and it seems like all hope has been lost. Our lives as we know it are over. The robots are all we have and they cannot be considered our friends. Therefore, do we have anyone but ourselves?

The Year 2035…My View: The Information Age

We all think technology is amazing now and how could it improve? Well, believe it or not, it can and it will.

In the year of 2035, everything will be ran by technology; everything will be ran through a computer, everything will look and feel entirely different. Cars will not drive, they will fly. Buildings will not be the typical square or rectangular structure, they will be unique and symmetric. Nature will be preserved through technological advances. When one goes to school or work, all they will have to do is sit at their computer and they’re there. Professors will teach and conferences will be held through video.

Personally, I don’t think the world will be as separated as it is now. Because technology will only continue to advance, everyone will be a part of everyone else’s life. This life will be the ideal where peace is found and technology conquers all.

Take a look…

I tried to go without it but I just could not escape it. Monday the 15th and Tuesday the 16th were the two days that I chose to go without media. Monday was not so easy, to say the least. I babysit my nieces on Monday’s and Wednesday’s so escaping at least the television stage of media was not an option. They have a routine that includes watching their favorite show “Yo Gabba Gabba” and they love it when Aunt Hillary watches with them. How can you resist two cute twins?

Being that many of my professors use Blackboard to communicate with their students, staying off the internet was almost impossible as well. However, I did avoid Facebook which surprised me very much so. I usually spend a lot of my time on Facebook and it really made me realize how much time I do spend on it because I noticed myself getting bored without it (that CANNOT be a good sign).

With the exception of walking past my mother’s room, hearing the news, and Monday when I was exposed to “Yo Gabba Gabba,” I didn’t watch any television. This wasn’t so hard for me considering a lot of the time when I do have my television on, it’s for background noise.

Now, going without my cell phone was impossible. I had to have it for communication purposes but because I do have a Blackberry, I was still able to recieve all of my emails and Facebook notifications. Although they were being sent to me, I had the tendency to not pay attention to them and wait until the two days without media came to an end.

Going without music?…forget it. I really failed at that aspect of my media obsession. I did still listen to radio and my IPod.

Any amount of time without media is difficult because at the end of the day, we really don’t realize how much we are exposed to without even noticing it. I found it very difficult to go without media and to be completely honest, I did fail with my attempt. This experience showed me that I can take media for granted. It’s at my fingertips all day long and I don’t take the time to step back and appreciate the amazing world of technology. You better believe I appreciate it now.

11:00 AM-11:15 AM Facebook

11:15 AM-11:30 AM TV “Regis and Kelly”

11:30 AM-1:30 PM IPod/Reading

1:35 PM-1:40 PM Radio in the car

1:40 PM-1:50 PM News on the TV at the bank

1:50 PM-1:55 PM Radio in the car

2:00 PM-2:20 PM Facebook

2:20 PM-4:00 PM TV “Teen Mom” Re-runs

4:00 PM-6:30 PM IPod/E-mail sent to my cell phone

6:45 PM-7:15 PM Radio in the car

7:20 PM-7:45 PM TV in Macaroni Grill played the Olympics

Day 2: With Media (Sunday February 14, 2010)

9:00 AM-9:30 AM TV “Teen Mom”

9:30 AM-9:55 AM Facebook

10:00 AM-12:30 PM Pandora Online Radio/E-mail sent to my cell phone

12:35 PM-12:45 PM Radio in the car

1:00 PM-8:00 PM TV’s in the lounge area at work throughout the day/E-mails sent to my cell phone

8:05 PM-8:15 PM Radio in the car

8:45 PM-9:15 PM Radio in the car

9:20 PM-10:30 PM TV

Wow, I spend my days with media right by my side! This was an interesting experience for me because I honestly did not realize just how much media plays a role in my daily activity.

I wake up and literally start my day with some type of media, whether it be watching television while drinking coffee and eating my morning toast with peanut butter or getting on the computer to check my Facebook.

Within my media habits, I see a pattern of beginning my day with either television or the internet followed by a lot of music. Music is very important to me; one of the most important aspects of my life, to be honest. Therefore, throughout the day, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing, music is probably on.

I did find that I do watch television more then I think I do but I have a tendency of keeping the television on even though I may not be watching it. I guess you could consider it a comfort thing; maybe I like the extra noise?

Now, I always have my phone with me. I have a Blackberry with the ability to use the internet and recieve and send e-mails from my phone (this is probably why people call it a “crack-berry;” one can get addicted to it). My Blackberry allows me to not only stay in touch with people like any other cellular device would do but it allows me to stay connected with different kinds of media within one device. I think that is pretty amazing, to be honest.

The patterns I noticed within my two days of tracking my relationship with media are being connected to Facebook, the internet, e-mail and music. Media is everywhere; we really can’t escape it folks!

Forty years ago, if I wanted to write a reaction to this video, I would have had to take out a pencil and a piece of paper and not only hand write it but physically turn it into the professor for them to add to their stack of papers. Now, I can do both of those things by the click of a button. I can not only type up my reaction on a blogging website but I can send a link to my blog to my professor through email. This will allow the ability to read and grade my reaction write up by the click of a button. Formerly said, we do take media advancements for granted but we need to realize how far the world of communication has come involving them.

Media is with us everyday; we use it everyday for not only meaningful purposes but for our own leisure and entertainment. Fun fact: I might be completing an assignment for my mass communication class (homework usually isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do) but I am doing it in a comfortable setting; I am currently snuggled up in bed while watching the snow fall and getting sucked into reality television. The laptop computer is on my lap and my fingers are typing away as I discuss my reaction to the video. The fascinating world of media strikes again!